Tanya Chutkan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tanya Chutkan
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Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia | |
Assumed office June 5, 2014 |
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Appointed by | Barack Obama |
Preceded by | Seat established |
Personal details | |
Born |
Tanya Sue Chutkan
July 5, 1962 Kingston, Jamaica |
Children | 2 |
Education | George Washington University (BA) University of Pennsylvania (JD) |
Tanya Sue Chutkan (born July 5, 1962) is an American lawyer and a U.S. district judge. She works for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
As a judge, she oversees many important legal cases. She is currently the judge for a major court case involving former U.S. president Donald Trump. This case is about events that happened after the 2020 presidential election.
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Early Life and Education
Tanya Chutkan was born on July 5, 1962, in Kingston, Jamaica. She has a younger brother named Norman and a younger sister named Robynne. Both of her siblings are doctors.
Her family has a diverse background. Her father, Winston Chutkan, is a doctor from Indo-Jamaican heritage. Her mother, Noelle, is Afro-Jamaican and was a lead dancer. She performed with the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica. Noelle's father, Frank Hill, was a member of the People's National Party. Tanya Chutkan is also a cousin of the famous footballer John Barnes.
Chutkan moved to the United States for her education. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1983. She received this degree from George Washington University. Later, she went to University of Pennsylvania Law School. There, she helped edit the University of Pennsylvania Law Review. She finished law school in 1987 with a Juris Doctor degree. This degree is needed to become a lawyer.
Early Career as a Lawyer
After law school, Tanya Chutkan worked at several law firms. From 1987 to 1990, she worked at Hogan & Hartson. This firm is now called Hogan Lovells. She then worked at Donovan, Leisure, Rogovin, Huge & Schiller for a year.
From 1991 to 2002, she worked as a public defender. In this role, she was a trial attorney and a supervisor. Public defenders help people who cannot afford a lawyer. This work is very important for fairness in the legal system.
In 2002, Chutkan joined the law firm of Boies, Schiller & Flexner. She became a partner at the firm in 2007. Her work there focused on complex civil cases. She often worked on cases involving antitrust law. Antitrust law helps make sure businesses compete fairly.
Becoming a Federal Judge
On December 19, 2013, President Barack Obama chose Tanya Chutkan for a special job. He nominated her to be a United States district judge. This position was for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
To become a judge, she had to be approved by the United States Senate. The Senate's Judiciary Committee held a hearing for her on February 25, 2014. The committee then voted to approve her nomination.
On June 3, 2014, the full United States Senate voted on her nomination. She was approved by a vote of 95 to 0. She officially became a judge on June 5, 2014.
Personal Life
Tanya Chutkan was married to Peter A. Krauthamer. He also served as a judge. He worked on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. They have two sons together.
See also
- List of African-American federal judges
- List of African-American jurists
- List of Jamaican Americans